Inside the Private Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Business

Before giving birth two years ago, Whitney Ferrarese went back and forth trying to decide whether to save the blood from her baby’s umbilical cord, a peculiar but increasingly common American birth ritual.

Like every new parent, Ms. Ferrarese worried about the health of her firstborn. It was a long shot, but maybe stem cells from the cord blood held a miracle cure for a disease that might strike her baby in the years ahead.